Like many companies in North Texas, Elliott Electric Supply can't find enough workers, especially entry-level employees who pull parts from its hot warehouse day and night.

So the company has begun hiring refugees — immigrants who had been displaced from their homeland and invited to the United States to begin a new life.

Adjusting to America can be challenging for many of these newcomers. Learning English is the most common hurdle, but they also must adjust to other workplace norms, from shaking hands with colleagues to making eye contact.

Taylor Kulovitz, area operations manager for Elliott Electric, evaluated the risks and benefits of this work group for about a year. Then he hired a Pakistani man who spoke English and could help ease the way for future hires.

Six months later, Elliott Electric has 10 refugees working at its warehouse in Farmers Branch, and more are likely to follow.

“I saw this as an opportunity to help people and meet our goals as a company,” Kulovitz said. “It’s been worth every single penny and every single second I’ve spent on this whole process.”

The refugees at Elliott hail from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Rwanda, and their former jobs include a math professor, electrician, welder and human resources professional. All are now permanent employees, receiving full benefits and a 401(k) with a company match.

“They’re really smart, hard-working, kind people,” Kulovitz said.

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And they’re so grateful for the opportunity that even after six months, some still greet him with a bow and smile — a sign of respect.

Since 1980, when Congress enacted the Refugee Act, over 3 million refugees have resettled in the U.S. They're usually fleeing their home countries because of war, famine, persecution and other deadly threats, and they're authorized to work in the U.S. immediately and begin a path to citizenship.

Last year, Texas landed more refugees than any state, and the Dallas-Fort Worth area became home for roughly half of them.

But the numbers have dropped sharply under President Donald Trump, at a time when the worldwide refugee population is reaching new highs.

The downward trend is similar in Texas. Almost 1,700 refugees arrived in the state last year, down from 7,800 in 2016.

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While international refugee programs are driven by humanitarian concerns, they also have economic benefits. More than half the refugees who move to the U.S. become homeowners, and they pay more in taxes than they receive in benefits, said Refugee Council USA.

They also become part of the workforce, which can be especially valuable during a time of record low unemployment.

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Amplio Recruiting, a firm specializing in placing refugee workers, has expanded to Dallas and Houston from its home base in Atlanta. The company name, which can mean ample in Spanish, aims to suggest plenty of jobs and job candidates from the refugee community.

While some employers are intrigued by the chance to help refugees, that motive alone won't lead to many permanent hires, said president Luke Keller.

“When we start selling the economics, that’s when their ears perk up,” said Keller, a 30-year-old who wanted to become a social entrepreneur.

Last year, Amplio placed about 870 refugees in jobs in the Atlanta area and is on pace to double that number, the company said. It’s been a slower start in Dallas, but North Texas is a prime market with an estimated 200,000-plus refugees, Keller said.

Throw in Dallas’ strong job growth and record low unemployment, and that’s a promising combination for the right kind of recruiting firm.

The challenge is getting companies to realize that refugees can work legally in the U.S. — and that their loyalty and productivity are worth the effort to accommodate them, said Richard Brindley, managing director of Amplio's Dallas office.

“Even if they don’t want to do this to help out refugees, they should do it for their bottom line,” Brindley said. “Refugees are some of the best hires they’ll ever make.”

They're certainly among the most loyal. Jean Congera, who came to Dallas from Burundi, has been providing job training to refugees for 12 years. For the past seven, he's worked at Northwest Bible Church — "and I have no reason to think about leaving," he said.

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There's a mindset that grows out of the refugee experience, he said, and it’s part gratitude, part insecurity, part fear of the unknown.

His mom has worked for over 10 years for a cleaning company at DFW Airport. One friend has been at Sam’s Club for over 11 years. Another friend has been cleaning buildings at Southern Methodist University for more than seven years.

In January, Habibullah Yousefi arrived in Dallas from Afghanistan. Trained as an electrical engineer, he worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for almost seven years and was granted a Special Immigrant Visa.

He’s working in the maintenance department of a local food company because he doesn’t have credentials like a high school diploma and college degree. “I have something else,” Yousefi said.

He plans to take an engineering exam later this month to help restart his former career. But he’s not complaining.